Purchasing FM Pro Ver.6

[cres4]

I do most of my work at Little House (for Senior Citizens [over 50]) in Menlo Park, CA. Our Computer Lab has about 20 Macs; one uses OS 7.5.2 (the good old reliable standby), several use OS 9.2, and 5 use OS 10.3.8.

FileMaker Pro Vers.4 only works on OS 9 and below. Although OS 9 is also available on the 5 macs using OS X, I have trouble printing directly from FM because the printer network is not set up to work with OS 9.

I want to purchase FM Pro Vers.6 which I understand works with both OS 9 and OS X. When I look it up on Google, I get prices ranging from $15 to $900 for various software having to do with FM Pro Vers.6.

What do I really need? I want it for my own use and I want to be able to use it with both OS 9 and OS X. It would be nice to have a double user license (use it on two machines at once) but that is not absolutely necessary.

Any suggestions as to what I need, where I can find it and what the price might be?

Cres Cole

[email protected]

[cres4]

I do most of my work at Little House (for Senior Citizens [over 50]) in Menlo Park, CA. Our Computer Lab has about 20 Macs; one uses OS 7.5.2 (the good old reliable standby), several use OS 9.2, and 5 use OS 10.3.8.

FileMaker Pro Vers.4 only works on OS 9 and below. Although OS 9 is also available on the 5 macs using OS X, I have trouble printing directly from FM because the printer network is not set up to work with OS 9.

I want to purchase FM Pro Vers.6 which I understand works with both OS 9 and OS X. When I look it up on Google, I get prices ranging from $15 to $900 for various software having to do with FM Pro Vers.6.

What do I really need? I want it for my own use and I want to be able to use it with both OS 9 and OS X. It would be nice to have a double user license (use it on two machines at once) but that is not absolutely necessary.

Any suggestions as to what I need, where I can find it and what the price might be?

Cres Cole

[email protected]

[cres4]

I do most of my work at Little House (for Senior Citizens [over 50]) in Menlo Park, CA. Our Computer Lab has about 20 Macs; one uses OS 7.5.2 (the good old reliable standby), several use OS 9.2, and 5 use OS 10.3.8.

FileMaker Pro Vers.4 only works on OS 9 and below. Although OS 9 is also available on the 5 macs using OS X, I have trouble printing directly from FM because the printer network is not set up to work with OS 9.

I want to purchase FM Pro Vers.6 which I understand works with both OS 9 and OS X. When I look it up on Google, I get prices ranging from $15 to $900 for various software having to do with FM Pro Vers.6.

What do I really need? I want it for my own use and I want to be able to use it with both OS 9 and OS X. It would be nice to have a double user license (use it on two machines at once) but that is not absolutely necessary.

Any suggestions as to what I need, where I can find it and what the price might be?

Cres Cole

[email protected]

[Vaughan]

Phone FMI -- you can downgrade FMP 7 licenses back to FMP 6.

If you're looking for cheap copies of FMP 6 then that's another issue.

[Vaughan]

Phone FMI -- you can downgrade FMP 7 licenses back to FMP 6.

If you're looking for cheap copies of FMP 6 then that's another issue.

[Vaughan]

Phone FMI -- you can downgrade FMP 7 licenses back to FMP 6.

If you're looking for cheap copies of FMP 6 then that's another issue.

[stanley]

Cres:

You suggest that you want to be able to use it on two computers. If that's all, then you need two licenses for FileMaker Pro. You do NOT need FileMaker Developer or FileMaker Server. You can also get away with using FileMaker Pro 5.5, which is very very similar to version 6, and uses the same file format, and also runs on both OS9 and OSX.

There has been some discussion here in the past regarding some of the rather too-inexpensive copies of FMP floating around on eBay, and exactly how legal these copies are. To be on the safe side, try to find copies that have an actual box and manual. The ones which are just a disc are the ones that seem questionable, although it is impossible to get a straight answer out of FMI regarding this. (I spent a fair amount of time trying to get this info out of them for this Forum, and in the end just gave up out of frustration.)

-Stanley

[stanley]

Cres:

You suggest that you want to be able to use it on two computers. If that's all, then you need two licenses for FileMaker Pro. You do NOT need FileMaker Developer or FileMaker Server. You can also get away with using FileMaker Pro 5.5, which is very very similar to version 6, and uses the same file format, and also runs on both OS9 and OSX.

There has been some discussion here in the past regarding some of the rather too-inexpensive copies of FMP floating around on eBay, and exactly how legal these copies are. To be on the safe side, try to find copies that have an actual box and manual. The ones which are just a disc are the ones that seem questionable, although it is impossible to get a straight answer out of FMI regarding this. (I spent a fair amount of time trying to get this info out of them for this Forum, and in the end just gave up out of frustration.)

-Stanley

[stanley]

Cres:

You suggest that you want to be able to use it on two computers. If that's all, then you need two licenses for FileMaker Pro. You do NOT need FileMaker Developer or FileMaker Server. You can also get away with using FileMaker Pro 5.5, which is very very similar to version 6, and uses the same file format, and also runs on both OS9 and OSX.

There has been some discussion here in the past regarding some of the rather too-inexpensive copies of FMP floating around on eBay, and exactly how legal these copies are. To be on the safe side, try to find copies that have an actual box and manual. The ones which are just a disc are the ones that seem questionable, although it is impossible to get a straight answer out of FMI regarding this. (I spent a fair amount of time trying to get this info out of them for this Forum, and in the end just gave up out of frustration.)

-Stanley

[Vaughan]

There was a reason I only recommended buying a copy from FMI and not looking around for used version on the Internet...

Here is a straight answer Stanley: many of the cheap disks sold over the Internet are pirate copies being illegally mass produced (ie, a big well organised operation). They are missing certain "signatures" in the printing and the install code may work but it is not legitimate, so purchasers will be in for a nasty surprise when they register the software with FMI.

I've heard that some FMP developer dude in Australia was buying these cheap copies in bulk and reselling them to their customers. The dude has been taken to the cleaners big time.

Another thing to watch out for: read the FMP license. Most recent versions state that the license can only be transferred to another party with the written approval of FMI. So unless the box is still in its original shrink wrap unopened and unused, the seller needs a note from FMI giving permission to transfer it to somebody else.

[Vaughan]

There was a reason I only recommended buying a copy from FMI and not looking around for used version on the Internet...

Here is a straight answer Stanley: many of the cheap disks sold over the Internet are pirate copies being illegally mass produced (ie, a big well organised operation). They are missing certain "signatures" in the printing and the install code may work but it is not legitimate, so purchasers will be in for a nasty surprise when they register the software with FMI.

I've heard that some FMP developer dude in Australia was buying these cheap copies in bulk and reselling them to their customers. The dude has been taken to the cleaners big time.

Another thing to watch out for: read the FMP license. Most recent versions state that the license can only be transferred to another party with the written approval of FMI. So unless the box is still in its original shrink wrap unopened and unused, the seller needs a note from FMI giving permission to transfer it to somebody else.

[Vaughan]

There was a reason I only recommended buying a copy from FMI and not looking around for used version on the Internet...

Here is a straight answer Stanley: many of the cheap disks sold over the Internet are pirate copies being illegally mass produced (ie, a big well organised operation). They are missing certain "signatures" in the printing and the install code may work but it is not legitimate, so purchasers will be in for a nasty surprise when they register the software with FMI.

I've heard that some FMP developer dude in Australia was buying these cheap copies in bulk and reselling them to their customers. The dude has been taken to the cleaners big time.

Another thing to watch out for: read the FMP license. Most recent versions state that the license can only be transferred to another party with the written approval of FMI. So unless the box is still in its original shrink wrap unopened and unused, the seller needs a note from FMI giving permission to transfer it to somebody else.